About two weeks ago I got invited to come out to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Fort Lauderdale to try one of their special 5-course Taste Maker Wine Dinners. This restaurant chain is not only known for its award winning wine selections but for also serving some of the finest cuts of meat on sizzling 500-degree plates. Once a month they host a very special dinner know as Ruth’s Taste Maker Dinner where guests can try 5 different courses which are each paired with a glass of wine. Luckily, I had the opportunity to attend one of these dinners along with my husband so it was definitely a Friday night well spent with not only amazing food but great company as well. The unique thing about these monthly dinners is that they are never the same in terms of the courses that are served along with the brand of wine featured so every month it’s something completely new and different which is what I love about it. On the night that I went the featured wine brand was “The Prisoner Wine Company” and the five glasses of wine that we sampled were all from Napa Valley, California so as you can imagine they were not going to disappoint.
What we ate:
First Course: Chilled King Salmon served with Horseradish cream, watercress puree, pickled onion, and mini croutons.
Paired Wine: Chardonnay “The Snitch” Napa Valley, California by The Prisoner Wine Company
It was my first time trying chilled salmon and I have to say that overall, I was well pleased with this dish. The salmon tasted very fresh and light and paired very well with the Chardonnay that had fresh tropical fruit, apple, and pear notes in it, and which was my second favorite wine of the night. The only thing I didn’t like about it was the cream that it was served with because it tasted more like whipped cream than horseradish, so I felt that it lacked some flavor there along with not having a very appealing presentation. However, I did like the harmony combination of the other ingredients with the salmon such as the watercress puree, pickled onion, and mini croutons because I felt that it really enhanced the overall flavor of the dish.
Second Course: Duck Pot Stickers served with savoy cabbage slaw and topped with sesame sauce.
Paired Wine: Merlot “Thorn” Napa Valley, California by The Prisoner Wine Company
The second course had a very creative and unique twist to it because it was made with duck rather than with a traditional meat such as pork or chicken which is what is normally used in pot stickers. I thought the dish was excellent not only because of the combination of ingredients used but also because it was very flavorful and tasted just how a pot sticker should which is lightly pan seared and/or boiled on the outside and stuffed with meat filling on the inside. I also loved the Merlot “Thorn” wine that was paired with it because it had earthy aromas, was well balanced, and wasn’t too acidic for my taste making it my favorite wine selection of the night.
Featured photo: Chardonnay “The Snitch” & Merlot “Thorn”
Third Course: Blackened Scallop & Cajun Rice Cake served with a green papaya salad and topped with peanuts.
Paired Wine: Red Blend “The Prisoner” Napa Valley, California by The Prisoner Wine Company
For the third course we had the Blackened Scallop & Cajun Rice Cake which tasted just like Paella because of the flavor and consistency of it. I found the rice cake to be very rich and not as spicy as I thought it would be. As for the scallop it had a very delicious meaty texture and seasoning to it and was cooked perfectly in my opinion. The wine paired with this dish was Red Blend “The Prisoner” which had a Zinfandel based blend with ripe cherry and cedar aromas and hints of rose petal and sweet oak.
Fourth Course: Filet Mignon topped with a Espresso BBQ Butter sauce and served with a side of beer battered onion rings and charred Romanesco.
Paired Wine: Red Blend “Derange” Napa Valley, California
The fourth course was by far my favorite dish of the night because it completely exceeded my expectations. For this dish we had a generous portion serving of Filet Mignon that was topped with the most delicious sauce ever made up of Espresso, BBQ, and Butter and it was served with a side of onion rings and charred Romanesco. The Filet Mignon was very well seasoned and loaded with tons of flavor and the meat was extremely juicy and tender. The onion rings were phenomenal and the best that I’ve ever tasted because of the beer infused batter that it was coated with and because of the delicious spicy pink sauce that it was served with. Plus, they were crisp and golden brown on the outside which is how an onion ring should be cooked. While I am not much into vegetables, I did really like the charred Romanesco because it looked and tasted just like broccoli which is one of the few vegetables that I can tolerate. This dish was paired with the Red Blend “Derange” which had notes of black cherry, clove spice, blackberry cobbler, and vanilla toast and which I found to be a little more acidic than the other wines but nonetheless it was still a great selection.
Fifth Course: Saldo Poached Pear served with vanilla ice cream, candied walnuts, and blue cheese crumbles
Paired Wine: Zinfandel “Saldo” Napa Valley, California
For the last course we had a dessert that I had always wanted to try for the longest time now which is not commonly found on menus and that is poached pear. What I loved the most about this dish was that there was a mix between sweet and salty from the combination of ingredients used. I thought that the mix of sweet from the ice cream, Saldo wine infused poached pear, and candied walnuts with the saltiness of the blue cheese crumbles was a genius and a great combination. It was a dish that had a very unique and distinctive flavor and I absolutely loved how it was paired with the Zinfandel because the wine was rich and smooth with a hint of chocolate therefore having the sweetest taste among the other wines making it my third favorite.
To conclude, I had a really great and positive experience at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and it’s definitely a restaurant that I would return to in the future. And if you’re looking for a restaurant to have your next date night at then I strongly suggest for you to check them out and to try their 5-course Taste Maker Wine Dinners!
To learn more about Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse or to make a reservation to their next Taste Maker Dinner on 6/20/19 please visit:
https://www.ruthschris.com/promotions/duckhorn-vineyards-wine-dinner/
** I would like to thank Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Fort Lauderdale for hosting us and for making our date night very memorable **
** All opinions are my own **